Welcome to the New Holly Lake Voice Pembroke Pines Community Website

For 2 years until January 6, 2017, Holly Lake Voice was the only forum available to its residents to present concerns and debate affairs in our community of over 560 mobile homes. Proudly independent of any interference from its Homeowners Association (HOA), the former site came under attack for revealing wasteful projects by the Board of Directors, serious deficiencies in lawn and legal services, and gaps in municipal services. Homeowners each pay $768/unit annually to their Association and more in property taxes for PPines security patrols and code enforcement by police. Former software and anonymity for its 65 members allowed trolls to disrupt productive conversation. The new Voice will follow rules similar to the NextDoor.com blog to which 110 Holly Lake residents now belong. Everyone can view this site to find current information not available from the Association’s neglected hollylakehoa.org site. The new Voice is the only secure website dedicated to long-term nonpartisan advocacy for Holly Lake residents.

Holly Lake Pembroke Pines Board Meetings

Just in case you missed it….

Although we post the approved Minutes of each Board meeting as they are submitted to us by Next Gen, the Minutes never tell the full story, only the motions passed and other basics. Here are the most recent meeting summaries:

At its Oct 04 meeting, the Board already had authorized an ad hoc Elections Committee and called for volunteers among homeowners who are NOT running for office, in order to formulate procedures for the 2018 elections. Instead, on Oct 15, the Board itself became the “Elections Committee” and adopted procedures similar to those used last year.

The Board then voted to deny homeowners the right to vote by electronic means, a legal option passed by the 2017 Board to reduce costs and guarantee tamper-proof results. E-voting improves turn-out by absentee owners, those who work at night, caregivers and the chronically ill, who could vote more securely from their own homes. Only 26 homeowners opted-in for the debut month November 2017; of these, 13 or 50% voted, far better than Holly Lake’s 20% general turn-out. However, of these 13, 12 voted for Terry Moody’s opponent.

Quorum is easily achieved with E-voting. Members present can also move to continue the session at another specified time, so that more members can be asked to attend. Terry Moody and Next Gen refused to consider the latter option for Nominations in 2016. Terry tried and failed to stop 2018 Nominations for “lack of quorum.” The same “no quorum” tactic was used at December 06 Annual meeting to halt vice-president vote count. The Association’s attorney told attendees that only 32 ballots had been received or voted at the meeting. Perhaps, as alleged last year, some absentee ballots were incomplete and the instructions by this same attorney too confusing. Only 37 or 5 % are needed for quorum. But the envelopes were never counted in front of the assembly nor examined to determine if Next Gen had conveyed all absentee ballots to the meeting.

The December Board meeting that was announced in E-blast, on website calendar, and street billboards for the same time was never convened, even though a quorum of 5 directors was present to conduct the Association’s business. Our Bylaws require the Board to hold a meeting every month to attend to the needs of our 785 members. Terry Moody said that directors had nothing to discuss, despite the many problems enumerated above on this page. Apparently, Christmas party time was more important to the 2018 Board; critical repairs and access to amenities can wait until 2019. As Tony Migiliore declared, “I’m finished for the year!”

On December 19, vice-president Migliore was forced to attend a Emergency Meeting called to resolve 2 pool repairs that Terry Moody said were not needed 2 weeks earlier. The agenda failed to approve any other business. The Board then decided to defer any more work until January 17, 2019.

All 5 officers were present at the January 17 meeting to begin their reign as 2019 roll-over Board. Tony Migliore wanted to remove all volunteers from the Advisory Committees and “start all over,” ignoring the many registered volunteers in 2018 who were never called to serve. New business included issues with PPines detail police, the new violations policy, and the need for posting new pricing for private use of the rec hall.

Only ten members attended the Board meeting. Of these, two were protesting demands by the Association’s attorney to pay $1,000 and sign a waiver to their constitutional rights under FS 720.305 (2b) to a hearing before our impartial Covenant Enforcement Committee, just for buying a house without prior Board approval. No damages to the community were even alleged. The buyer, a single mom, had paid $200 screening fee and presented her application to Next Gen, then waited weeks in vain for the Board’s decision to accept or reject under its 2018 Rules. Failure to pay the $1,000 fine and the attorney’s fees immediately becomes a special assessment and potential lien on the house. Buying, selling or renting our homes is always time sensitive. Subjecting applicants to the duress of unreasonable delays causes economic harm. President Moody announced that many others had been fined $1,000 plus attorney fees for such minor failures of process.

Recently, the Voice has learned that potential buyers or renters are being told that they cannot pre-qualify to be accepted as future residents under criteria detailed in the Board’s new Corporate Resolution. Instead, they must first contract to buy or rent in Holly Lake, a process that often requires weeks of searching, negotiations with us homeowners, and perhaps services of a broker, all wasted, if they are later denied the right to occupy their home. Bankers routinely pre-qualify home buyers for mortgages, so that sellers can accept initial offers, knowing that the buyer has funding secured. Any Board rule that makes buying a home more difficult in Holly Lake seriously degrades the market value of our property, usually the major life investment for many of us. Brokers won’t show our homes, when their clients may face weeks of delays from Next Gen’s approval process and then be denied the right to live here. The better families can avoid our grief and go elsewhere. What other west Broward HOA’s screen prospective residents so thoroughly, while denying them the ability to pre-qualify? The goal of screening, to secure better residents, is defeated.

The Board needs to explain this counter-productive policy. Its only visible purpose is to squeeze us homeowners and their buyers for $1,000 fines plus attorney fees, when the buyers are forced to occupy before Board approval can be obtained, which is forbidden, even when no damages to community welfare are evident. Except for investors, any buyer who wants to reside here first had to vacate a prior home or apartment. A later Board denial or delay can result in being homeless.

How is this policy in our “best interests”? You can read the 2018 Corporate Resolution under the “News” drop-down here or at the Association’s website. Its stated purpose is to gather information before offering a right of first refusal. Before 2006, waivers of the “first refusal” right were routine. Our Association has no legitimate interest in buying houses. So why is it used now to screen and deny prospective residents?

Turf is dormant in winter anyway, but on January 21st, members received a 2 pm notice that Tropic Star had begun its $4,000 lawn cut again on a bulk pick-up Monday. For residents who want their backyards cut, we hope that our Board will provide at least 4 days notice to “open gates and clear trash.”

Holly Lake Pembroke Pines News

Back Talk

This is a feature of our site that asks questions of the Holly Lake Pembroke Pines Community to find out how the community feels about issues. Please post your comments. You must be registered first as true Holly Lake resident with name and address.